


Certain as the Sunrise

by Lineycantdance



Category: Pocket Monsters: Black & White | Pokemon Black and White Versions
Genre: F/M, Heroine's Journey, a feminine power fantasy question mark?, bleeds into the sequel if I get that far, does it still count as slow burn?, lots of cliche moments, mostly long-winded and contrived dialogue, the main character is low-key ace, the ship doesn't really go anywhere, written by an amateur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26914111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lineycantdance/pseuds/Lineycantdance
Summary: The summer is here, and 16 year-old Luciana (Hilda/Touko/White) has just begun her journey as a Pokemon Trainer! She departs from Nuvema Town with friends Cheren and Bianca after receiving her starter Pokemon and a Pokedex from Professor Juniper. Her journey complicates in the next town over when Luciana encounters a questionable interest group, Team Plasma, and meets a peculiar young man named N. Team Plasma disavows the lifestyle of Pokemon Trainers, and while their message is extreme, Luciana finds that she agrees with much of what they say. Determined to befriend N, Luciana discovers that her own stance on the ethics of battling becomes muddled through their interactions. Luciana’s initial plan to casually take the gym challenge is derailed as she finds herself increasingly wrapped up in Plasma’s schemes.This story is basically a retelling of the events of Black and White without dwelling on any of the gym battles. I hope to distinguish this fic from others by aiming to tackle the animal rights issue as well as exploring questions related to attraction and romanticism. I'm structuring my retelling around the Heroine’s Journey myth. Note that I am not a writer so much of what follows is hot garbage.
Relationships: N | Natural Harmonia Gropius/Touko | Hilda
Kudos: 1





	Certain as the Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luciana (Hilda/Touko/White) was recruited by the local Pokemon Professor to help with the completion of the Pokedex, and today is her first day as a Pokemon Trainer! She and her two best friends, Cheren and Bianca, receive their starter Pokemon and begin their adventure around the Unova region!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> General notes for the whole story: 
> 
> \- Luciana, Cheren, and Bianca’s journey takes place over the course of a summer. In my story, those three are all 16 years old (definitely high-schoolers) and N is 18. I always imagine Pokemon journeys taking place over the summer which explains why kids aren’t in school. I know this game has seasons, so it can take place at any time of the year, but this is just way easier than trying to explain away the absence of compulsory education and the parental negligence that exists in the Pokemon World.  
> \- Luciana is my characterization of Hilda/White/Touko. I really like the name, and it was the name I gave the player character during my first ever playthrough of White. Based on her sprite design, the female protagonist seems like no-nonsense girl who isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants. At the same time, I always imagine that the player characters are more shy and reserved, since they have no dialogue. They would rather listen and observe than speak.  
> \- WARNING: This is written in the first person. See my note at the end of the chapter about this…  
> \- I didn’t bother writing up Pokemon battles in any exciting way, so they can totally be skipped over. I basically just gave a run-down of the sequence of moves that were used in the battle and by which Pokemon. I offset them with squiggly dashes, and if you skip over them, you’re just missing out on the mid-battle dialogue which is no different than it is in the game. I play with the battle style as “Set” meaning I don’t get a free turn to switch out my Pokemon after causing the opponent’s Pokemon to faint. Battles will be written according to the “Set” battle style, not “Switch/Shift”.  
> \- Okay, last warning, you’re in for a ride. The writing quality varies from absolute trash to passable for a third-grader.

[June 1, 201X, Nuvema Town]

 _Bzzz bzzz._ I slowly opened my eyes to the harsh light streaming through my bedroom window. I slammed off my alarm clock and stared at the digital numbers slowly coming into focus. 9:00. _Nine AM?_ I leapt out of bed and ran downstairs to the kitchen.

“Morning, Luciana!” my mom said from the sink. “Today’s the big day, isn’t it?”

“It is! I can’t believe it!” I said as I rubbed my eyes. “But I also can’t believe I slept in so late! ...I haven’t finished packing yet,” I admitted.

“Luciana!” My mother shot me a stern look. “Cheren and Bianca will be here in an hour! I told you to pack your things yesterday!”

“I know, Mom, and I _did_ start packing yesterday. But, it was just so overwhelming! How can I possibly pack everything I could ever need into one bag? I want to be prepared for unexpected situations, but it’s impossible to account for everything, right?”

“Mija.” My mom walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. “I know you are excited and probably nervous, but you’re going to be fine! You’re responsible, and you can handle yourself. If you forget to pack something, you can always purchase the essentials from the mart. And we both know that if it was something super important, Cheren will be sure to have it.”

“You’re right,” I said as I cracked a smile. “Mom, you always know what to say.” 

She gave me a wink. “Alright, come here.” She extended her arms, beckoning me to give her a hug. I wrapped my arms around her, and she pinched one of my cheeks. “Oh! You’re getting so big! To think you are leaving on your own Pokemon adventure!”

I swatted her hand away from my face. “Maaa! Don’t get too sappy just yet.”

“Okay, I’ll wait for your friends to arrive for that,” she joked. Then she let out a sigh. “I remember my own journey around the Unova region. Like it was yesterday... Oh, you’re going to have so much fun! Traveling and exploring the region like you always wanted… it will be like a dream come true!”

“I can hardly wait!” I said into her shoulder.

Mom kissed my hair and then released me. “Now, go finish getting ready while I make you some breakfast. And hurry!” As I dashed back up the stairs, she called up after me, “You know Cheren is always punctual!”

Back in my room, I quickly made my bed and got ready for the day. According to the weather forecast, it was going to be pretty hot, so I threw on my favorite pair of ripped jean shorts. My outfits were never too colorful, and I usually opted for practical rather than fashionable clothing. Today was no different. For my top, I wore a plain white tank, and over it I threw on my classic black vest, both to add another layer in preparation for the inside of any air-conditioned buildings, as well as to increase my pocket count. 

I laced up my black boots, threw my hair into a high ponytail, and looked at myself in the mirror. I appeared incredibly ordinary which was exactly what I was going for. 

“Luciana! Breakfast!” I heard my mother call from down below.

“Coming!” I shouted back. 

I looked at myself for a little bit longer, because for some reason I had the feeling that I was missing something. I decided not to worry about it and ran back downstairs.

I quickly scarfed down my breakfast while my mom listed all the things I was supposed to have packed: an umbrella, extras socks, running shoes, my newly certified Trainer ID.

“Yeah, yeah, I got all that,” I said.

“Oh, and sunscreen!” she reminded me. “You’re going to be outside a lot, so unless you’re wearing long sleeves, remember to apply it regularly!”

“I know, Mom. I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“Speaking of protection from the sun, do you have a pair of sunglasses?” she asked.

“No, I can’t find them,” I replied.

“Then you’re going to need a hat to keep your eyes shaded.” 

I groaned. I hated wearing hats because they always gave me helmet-hair. Plus, I couldn’t really pull them off.

“And everyone knows that the best Trainers wear hats!” she added.

“Maybe back in your day, they did.”

My mom rolled her eyes playfully. “Why don’t you wear your pink and white baseball cap?” she suggested. “It will match your pink shoelaces perfectly!”

“...I’ll bring it,” I reluctantly agreed. 

I looked at the clock as my mom cleared my dishes. It was 9:30.

“Alright, so go get it,” she said, “and finish your packing!”

I scurried back up to my room and dug the aforementioned baseball cap out of my closet. I had to retie my ponytail lower to be able to thread it through the hole in the back. Another reason to dislike hats — they truly limited the number of hairstyle options! Looking at my reflection, however, I discovered I actually liked the way the hat looked resting on my head. It seemed like I found what I was missing from earlier. 

I returned to my last-minute packing. By the time I finished determining which clothes I would take with me and which I would leave behind, the doorbell rang, and I heard Mom greeting Cheren at the door. 

“Cheren! Hello! Prompt as always!” My mother’s sonorous voice rang up to the second story of the house. 

In the meantime, I rushed to stuff the rest of my clothing into my bag, but my hoodie just wasn’t fitting. I dumped out the contents and began rolling my items into cylinders. Before long, I heard Cheren approaching my room. He knocked lightly on the doorframe with his knuckles as he entered.

“Hey,” he said. 

I was kneeling on my bag, trying to get it to zip shut. 

“Just as I expected. You’re still packing,” he teased.

I rolled my eyes and finally triumphed over my bag. “There! All done!” I said. 

I turned around to face my friend and saw that he was carrying a gift box wrapped in blue wrapping paper and topped with a green bow. 

“I know it’s a special day, Cheren, but it’s not my birthday!” I joked. “You really shouldn’t have!”

“It’s not from me, dummy. Your mom told me to bring it up. She said Professor Juniper delivered it to her this morning. It’s for us, but we _have_ to wait until Bianca gets here before we can open it!”

I gasped. “Do you think it’s-?!”

“Our starters?” he finished. “That’s my guess. I heard from Professor Juniper that we can each have a Pokemon.” 

I took the present from him and beheld it. I suddenly felt the urge to shake the mysterious box, but if its contents were what we thought they were, that definitely wouldn't be a good idea. 

“Ooooh! It’s too tempting! Take it away from me!” I said.

“Luciana, this is not a joke!” Cheren chided. “Let me put this out of your reach.” He placed the present on my desk. “I know it’s exciting, but you need to take this more seriously. It’s our very first moment as Trainers. It may not be a big deal to you, but it’s a big deal to me!”

I made a pouty-face. “Aww, you’re no fun! And it’s a big deal to me too, you know.”

“Sure...” he said. 

We lapsed into a short silence, and Cheren quickly grew impatient. He began tapping his foot on the floor. 

“What’s keeping Bianca?” he asked.

“You know her,” I said. “You really shouldn’t have expected her to arrive on time.”

“You’re right, but late today of all days?” Cheren shook his head.

“Um, so Cheren, have you thought about which starter you want?” I asked him casually. I was still undecided, and I was hoping he would call dibs on one of the three to eliminate one of my choices.

“I think I have an idea,” he said thoughtfully, “but I will only know for sure when I see the Pokemon in person.” 

I nodded. 

“What about you?” he asked.

“Truthfully, I have no idea, but like you said, it’s probably best to wait to meet the little guys first. Maybe I’ll have a gut feeling?”

The corners of Cheren’s mouth curved upward into a knowing grin. “You didn’t do any prior research, did you?”

“Hey! I did some research!” I said defensively.

Cheren raised an eyebrow.

“Okay fine, not that much,” I admitted. “But just because I’m not as knowledgeable as you are doesn’t mean you should judge me. I think what’s most important is whether or not you feel a connection.”

“But what if you don’t feel a connection to any of them?” he posed. “Then what are you going to fall back on? Statistics and data.” 

“But you shouldn’t reduce Pokemon to just a bunch of numbers! They’re living creatures, and the bond you form with them is important!”

“Of course it is! But stats and the like are also important, especially for battling,” he insisted.

I couldn’t argue with him because he clearly knew more on the subject, so I remained silent. 

“Luciana, I must say, you’re a bit unprepared to be a Trainer,” Cheren said evenly. “I know it’s not your lifelong dream or anything, but you should still put your best foot forward while pursuing this endeavor.” 

I shot Cheren a look. 

“I’m not saying this to be mean, but I’m saying this as your friend,” he said.

I scoffed. “I know you mean well, Cheren, but really, it’s okay! We’re just beginners, and the professor said she would debrief us on the most important stuff. Plus, just because not all of us aspire to be the region’s top Trainer doesn’t mean I won’t give it my all!”

“Good! That’s what I like to hear,” he replied. “Because I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to, and I won’t go easy on you either!”

Cheren let himself smile, and he held out his hand. “Deal?”

“Deal!” I said as I clapped my hand to his. We pumped once, both satisfied with our commitment to friendly competition.

Then, we heard Bianca’s footsteps as she bounded up the stairs to my room. She came running through the door but quickly halted to catch her breath.

“Am I a little late again?” she said between huffs. “So-oooo-orry!”

I smiled upon seeing my bubbly friend and chuckled at Cheren’s exasperation.

“Bianca…” he began his lecture. “I’ve known for ten years that you have no sense of time, but… seriously?! Today’s the day we can get a Pokemon from Professor Juniper!”

Bianca walked over to us, her face pink, either from running or from her embarrassment, or perhaps from both. 

“I know,” she said. “Sorry, Luciana. Sorry Cheren…”

“It’s alright,” I said, though Cheren did not seem too satisfied with her apology. He gave a small humph at that.

Ignoring him, she asked, “So where are the Pokemon?”

Cheren and I pointed to the present sitting on my desk. 

“Wow! Gift-wrapped and everything! Well, they were delivered to Luciana’s house, so she gets first pick.”

“Naturally,” agreed Cheren. 

“You guys are really making _me_ pick first?” I asked. “You know I can’t make a decision to save my life.”

“Yes, Luz,” said Bianca. “No ifs, ands, or buts about it!”

“The Pokemon are waiting for us inside that gift box,” Cheren said eagerly. “Okay, Luciana, you go first and take a peek at the gift box. I want to meet the Pokemon right now!”

“Alright, alright.” I removed the bow and held up the note that was attached to the box, reading it aloud.

_I’ve brought three Pokemon, one for you and one for each of your friends. Please settle your choices politely. Enjoy your Pokemon!_

_Professor Juniper--_

Inside the box were three Pokeballs. I carefully held each one and pressed the central button, releasing the three starter Pokemon onto my bedroom floor. First was Snivy, the smug grass-snake. Next was Tepig, the cheery fire-pig, and last, but not least was Oshawott, the shy water-otter. They each let out little cries as they were released, revealing bits of their personalities. 

“Aww! Aren’t they adorable!” said Bianca.

“Yes! They’re super cute!” I agreed. 

I knelt down and began cooing at the three little monsters, taking note of their distinct dispositions. 

“While they are all so cute, I think I know which one I want,” I announced.

“Well, that was fast,” Cheren commented.

“Yeah, for some reason, I feel like this Oshawott and I are kindred spirits!” I reached out and tentatively petted it. It was a little scared at first, but eventually it accepted my petting.

“Luciana! You two are perfect together!” Bianca said. “Okay, I’ll take this Pokemon!” She scooped up Tepig into her arms and booped its nose. “Cheren, that one’s yours!”

“Hey, how come you get to pick out my Pokemon? That’s not fair!” He laid his eyes on the grass-type Pokemon and smirked. “Oh, never mind. I wanted Snivy from the start, anyway.” He offered the snake-like creature his arm, and the Snivy quickly slithered its way up to Cheren’s shoulder. 

“Everyone has chosen a Pokemon!” Bianca said. “...So that’s that! Hey, I know! Let’s have a Pokemon battle!”

Cheren brought up a hand to adjust his glasses. “Honestly, Bianca… Even though they’re still weak Pokemon, you shouldn’t have Pokemon battles inside a house.”

“Don’t be such a worrywart!” she said. “These little ones are weak, like you said. We have to let them battle so they’ll get stronger. It’s settled. Luciana!” I perked up upon hearing my name. “Get ready for a Pokemon battle!”

~~~~

I had never seen a battle up close before, let alone participated in one. It turned out that battles with little ones were underwhelming compared to what they show on TV, but it was a new and thrilling experience nonetheless! 

I started out with Tackle, and Bianca began the fight with a Tackle as well. Oshawott was faster, and after the hit, Bianca said, “Eek! Ouch! I won’t let you get away with that!” 

I had Oshawott use Tackle during each turn in the battle, while Bianca alternated between Tackle and Tail Whip with her Tepig. Even though Bianca’s Tepig got a critical hit on one turn, my Oshawott was still able to win the fight. After Oshawott’s final tackle, Tepig lost all its energy and fainted. I watched its little pig legs give out, as it fell down and closed its eyes. Bianca quickly called it back into its Pokeball. 

\----

“The Pokemon on both sides did their best!” she said, handing me ☧500 from her purse.

I felt a bit shocked seeing Tepig faint for the first time, and I turned my attention to my own Oshawott. It had taken several hits, and was low on energy. I asked if it was alright, and my new partner purred in affirmation. 

Soon, I looked around my room and saw the disorder that had descended upon it during the battle. The sheets were pulled off my bed, my TV was crooked, and my plant was knocked over. My bookcase had toppled, the books it once stored laid scattered across the floor. There were even Pokemon footprints on the walls! The battle had completely destroyed my room that I had just cleaned, and I knew my mom was going to kill me!

Oblivious to the disaster around us, Bianca said, “Wow, Luciana… You’re gonna be an awesome Trainer someday, I can tell! No doubt!”

I turned my attention to her. “Thanks! I can’t believe we won! You were really good too!” 

“Uh…” said Cheren, as he took in the mess. “Bianca, would you take a look around?”

Bianca looked at all four sides of my bedroom. “Wh-whoa! What happened?! Wow! Pokemon are amaaaazing!! So little, but so strong!”

“You can say that again,” I said.

“I’m so glad that I get to have a Pokemon!” she continued. “...Oh. Um, sorry about your room, Luciana.”

I shrugged. 

Cheren walked up to Bianca and put a hand on her shoulder. “You… are completely hopeless!” While he was mostly just exasperated, I thought he was a bit too harsh, and Bianca flinched at his remark. But then, he shook his head light-heartedly and pulled out some potions and a revive from his drawstring bag. “Here! I’ll restore your Pokemon for you.” He proceeded to heal Bianca’s Tepig. Turning to me, he said, “Luciana, you’re Pokemon needs to be fixed up, too.” He healed my Oshawott in kind. 

Once he was finished, Bianca perked up. “Hey, Cheren! How about you battle, too? With all you know, I’m sure you can battle without turning the room into a disaster like I did!” There was a hint of playful taunting in her voice.

Cheren smirked, only growing more smug. “I believe you’re right! It’ll be no problem for me to keep the room from getting any messier. Besides, it’s not fair if you two are the only ones who get to have fun battling!” 

He turned to me, raising his eyebrows in challenge. “So how about it? I’ve decided. Luciana, you’ll be my opponent… In our first Pokemon battle!”

“You mean, in _your_ first battle,” I corrected.

Cheren nodded. “Let’s see what you can do, Snivy!” He extended his arm and his snake hopped off, ready to fight.

~~~~

The battle with Cheren was similar to the one with Bianca, meaning it was just a battle of Tackles, Tail Whips, and Leers. I decided to use Tail Whip once at the start of the fight to lower Snivy’s defenses before Oshawott went all in on the Tackles. I knew that Cheren would have been analyzing my last fight with only Tackles, so I didn’t want to seem too predictable. Unfortunately, Snivy was faster, and hit with Tackle first. 

Once the turn was over, Cheren brought his fingers to his chin. “I’ve finally become a Trainer… Everything starts from here!”

He adjusted his red glasses once more and decided his next move. He went for Leer for the next few turns, while my Oshawott whittled down Snivy’s health with Tackles. Snivy was weakened, but Oshawott’s defenses were severely lowered. Snivy hit Oshawott hard with Tackle, nearly knocking him down, but my little blue otter stood back up and hit one final Tackle, taking the Snivy down. Snivy couldn’t get back up, and Cheren recalled his Snivy to its ball. I decided to call my Oshawott back as well, certain he was exhausted. 

\----

“So that was a Pokemon battle,” Cheren said. He looked torn between wanting to be upset about the loss, and forcing himself to be a good sport. He took ☧500 from his wallet and handed it to me, unable to look me in the eye. He twisted a strand of his long black hair while thinking over the battle. “I made a strange blunder in my first battle, but this feeling I have… I’m finally a Trainer.” As an afterthought, he added, “Good job.”

“You too! You nearly got me!” I said.

“It looks like you beat both of us, Luciana,” said Bianca. “You must have a knack for this!”

“Eh, it’s just beginner’s luck!” I said with a wave of my hand.

“Sure…” Cheren said as he narrowed his eyes at me. “Well, we’ll all have plenty of time to practice soon. But first, we’d better go apologize to your mother about this messed-up room.”

“I’d better come, too!” said Bianca, and they both disappeared down the stairs. I checked to make sure my Wii was intact (it was!) before following them.

“I’m very sorry about all the trouble, ma’am,” Cheren was saying to my mom. 

“Well, um… We can clean up…” Bianca offered. 

My mom looked back and forth between the two of them and then raised her eyebrows at me. She shook her head and laughed lightly. “Cleaning up? No worries. I’ll take care of it later. Shouldn’t you be on your way to meet Professor Juniper?” 

I could hardly believe my ears! I was certain my mother would punish us bigtime for this, maybe even say that doing something like battling inside a house proved we weren’t ready to go out on our own just yet. But instead, she was acting like this was no big deal!

“Yes, thank you! Please excuse us,” Cheren said as he dismissed himself. “Come on, let’s go thank Professor Juniper,” he said to Bianca. He turned to me and added, “I’ll be waiting in front of the Pokemon Research Lab.”

Bianca raised up a finger abruptly. “Oh! Wait! I’ve gotta go home first.” She turned to my mom. “Thanks for having us over!”

Mom smiled at the two of them and waved goodbye. 

Once they had left, she walked up to me. I grew stiff, certain I was going to get an earful now that my friends were gone, but to my surprise, Mom was completely chill.

“My, my, Luciana. Pokemon battles are so lively, aren’t they? I could hear the Pokemon’s cries clear down here!” 

She said it like it was the usual chatter, and I stared back, still in disbelief over the fact that I had dodged punishment completely! 

“Hm. That sure reminded me of my first Pokemon battle!” she said wistfully. “Oh, and you know? After a battle, you need to rest your Pokemon!” She quickly restored the health of my Oshawott. “He’s a cutie, isn’t he?” she said.

“Yes, I can already feel a connection with him,” I said.

“That’s amazing! Now, if you’re going out, don’t forget your Xtransceiver!” 

I checked my wrist to make sure my brand new smart wrist-phone was strapped on nice and secure. 

“You’re going to thank the professor too, right?” she asked.

“Of course!” I said.

“Better get going!”

I ran outside and headed across town toward Juniper’s lab, waving at the townspeople as I passed. I made it to the front of the lab just as Cheren did. He had added his blue School Council jacket on top of his white T-shirt. Now with the jacket on, the shirt’s red collar and central red stripe almost looked like a necktie. 

We stood together waiting, and he tapped his foot again. 

“I’m sorry, but could you go to Bianca’s house?” he asked. “I bet she’s spacing out like she always does. She’s totally flighty.” 

“Uh–” I hesitated knowing that Bianca was probably getting chewed out by her overprotective father right now, as he never would have approved of her going on a journey around the region.

Cheren must have noticed my uneasiness, because he offered himself instead. “You know what? I’ll go get her. I would get bored just waiting. I’ll be back soon, hopefully with Bianca.” 

I sat down in the dirt and pulled out my sole Pokeball. I unleashed my Oshawott and played with him while we waited. I wasn’t sure why, but I had a feeling he was a boy. I wouldn’t know for sure until I received a Pokedex from the professor. In addition to recording information on captured Pokemon, the Pokedex was also a really useful tool for battling. It would report the current learned moves, level, and stats of the Pokemon on a Trainer’s team of up to six Pokemon. For Trainers who didn’t have a Pokedex, they had special Trainer ID cards that would display the same type of summary information for their team. 

I drew in the dirt with a stick as I waited, and pretty soon, my Oshawott had found a stick of his own and was copying me. My thoughts drifted to meeting the professor. I knew she was nice, as she was a friend of my mother’s, but I still felt like I didn’t know her too well. But since she was tasking me and my friends with the Pokedex, I knew I could take this opportunity to learn more about her and her research. 

I absently began petting my Oshawott, and he crawled into my lap. I reflected over the battles I had with Cheren and Bianca. I beat them both, but could that mean anything? I doubted it. It really came down to luck, when I thought about it. One critical hit, and my little otter would have gone down. I shuddered thinking about my Oshawott being exhausted to the point of fainting. Seeing that Tepig collapse under its own weight made me feel uncomfortable. It really looked like it was in pain. I scooped up Oshawott and held him in front of my face. He rubbed his whiskers against my cheeks, and I pulled him into a hug. I just knew that I didn’t want my little Pokemon to get hurt. 

Still, I remembered when I asked him if he was okay, and he looked like he was rearing up to go! Like he was excited for the next battle. I guess, despite his timid appearance, my little scallop-shelled Pokemon was resilient. 

Oshawott tossed his shell back and forth with me until we saw two shadows approaching us. I scrambled to my feet holding Oshawott in my arms. 

Bianca, despite her sunny orange, white, and green outfit, looked uncharacteristically solemn. I asked her if she was alright, and she tucked her green beret over her face. 

“Really, I’m okay,” she said. 

“Okay, let’s go meet the professor!” Cheren said. Bianca and I followed him inside the lab. 

Professor Juniper was warm and kind. She introduced herself (it turned out that while she _did_ live upon a hill, her first name was Aurea, not Jennifer) and spoke for a little about her research on Pokemon origins. Then, she asked us if we wanted to give our Pokemon a nickname. I decided to call my Oshawott “Bri”. Bri was a cute name for a cute little guy like him. Cheren decided not to give his Snivy a nickname, while Bianca called her Tepig “Porky”. It gave me a laugh, but Cheren was way too serious to find it funny. 

The professor gave us a quick overview of our adventures and the Pokedex. She also explained how to catch Pokemon, giving us five Pokeballs each. Throughout the crash course, Cheren played the part of Teacher’s Pet, as always. Then, the professor told us to try out catching Pokemon on Route 1. She said she would meet us on the other side of that route in Accumula Town and left to get a head start. 

Once it was just us, Bianca spoke up, “S-since the professor asked us, it’s okay to go on an adventure, right? I can explore and maybe find out what I want to do in life. I think I’d like that...”

“Of course,” Cheren assured her. “We can travel however we want while we complete the Pokedex.” 

The light returned to Bianca's face.

Outside the lab, my mom was waiting for us. 

“Oh, there you are!” she said. “And…? The professor asked you to complete the Pokedex?! I can’t believe it! Well, actually, I can. I already knew she was going to ask you that. That’s why I brought you three of these Town Maps. Take them with you!” She passed them out to us, and we each took our turns thanking her. “As for your room, Luciana, or what’s left of it…”

Cheren and Bianca giggled while my face burned with shame. 

“No need for any of you to worry. I’ll take care of tidying up. Okay? Ah, Pokemon. They are so cute, but they have enough power to destroy a bedroom! They really are something. With Pokemon like that at your side, you’ll be safe wherever you go!”

My mom pulled out a disposable camera from her pocket, and gestured for us to scoot together. “How about a commemorative picture before you kids set out?” she suggested.

This was met with a chorus of groans from “us kids”.

“Come on, I promised your parents I would take one,” she pleaded.

“I’d actually like one,” Bianca said. 

“Yeah, me too,” I agreed. “It will capture our very first moment as Trainers.” I gave Cheren a nudge.

“Alright, but only if our Pokemon are in it, too!” he said.

“Good idea!” Mom said.

We released our starters from their Pokeballs and held them up in our pose.

“Cheese!” Mom said, before flashing the camera a few times. “Alright! That takes care of that! Now you really are all set to go!”

“Finally!” Cheren said.

“Cheren, Bianca,” Mom continued, “I’ll let your parents know you’ve gone! I hope that, in addition to Pokemon, you’ll find lots and lots of places you like in the Unova region — and become wonderful adults! Have a great trip!” 

My mom brought her attention to me. “Luciana, come and say goodbye.”

“Shall we head for Route 1?” I heard Cheren ask Bianca. “The Professor’s waiting.”

“Let’s go,” she replied. “Luciana, hurry and come, too, when you’re done!” My friends walked off, leaving me to say goodbye to my mom.

“Luciana, come here,” Mom said. She pulled me into a warm hug. “I love you, mija, and I will miss you so much!”

“So, you’re really not mad about my room?” I asked her.

“No, dear. I did a lot worse when I first became a Trainer. Plus, I knew you all would be so eager to have your first battles, and Cheren is quite impatient. I’ll take care of the mess… this time.”

“Thanks, Mom! You’re the best!” 

We pulled apart and my mother held my face in her hands.

“You kids are growing up so fast! I can’t believe this day has come, but I couldn’t be more proud. Remember to stay safe, and don’t be afraid to rely on your Pokemon if you need to, or if you feel threatened. People and Pokemon help each other out, so don’t try to do things all on your own. And one last thing… Don’t forget to call!”

“I won’t, Mom,” I said. “I promise.”

“Alright, now have fun! That’s the most important thing!” 

I walked away from her toward the exit of the only town I’d ever really known. I turned back to wave, but she shooed me off. 

“Go! Your friends are waiting!”

“Love you, always!” I said, and then I ran toward the outskirts of town. 

Cheren saw me running towards him and gestured in his direction. “Alright, this way. Bianca says if we’re starting a journey together, she wants us all to take our first step at the same time.”

“Hey, Luciana, let’s take our first steps on Route 1 together,” Bianca said.

She grabbed my hand and I grabbed Cheren’s.

“Alright, here we go,” he said. 

“One, two, three!” we said in unison, and our adventure began!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Soooooo I've been drafting this project out for a while now, and I'm just now posting this first chapter. (I'm hoping that posting it will give me motivation to stop procrastinating writing chapter 3, lol)  
> \- I wrote this in the first-person. I gave myself a pretty hard time about this while I was writing, but then I realized that was stupid. Charles Dickens wrote in the first-person, so if it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me. Also, RPGs are supposed to feel like a first-person experience. The silent protagonist functions as an empty vessel onto which players can project themselves. N E wayz, strap yourself in for an unapologetic first-person narrative.  
> \- I know an alarm clock opening is pretty trite, but I hope that didn’t deter you from reading the rest of the chapter, and I hope it doesn’t put you off from continuing. There will be plenty more cliche moments to come. They don’t necessarily come from a place of laziness, but rather from my own inexperience as a writer. Additionally, I am basing this story on the monomyth, so I will be relying on well-known tropes and cliches. I hope to employ them in interesting ways, but... we’ll see.  
> \- This chapter ended up being pretty long, as the game dialogue was longer than I anticipated (the NPCs have their own little side discussions). I decided not to cut through the opening battles because I think they do give a really good sense of Bianca and Cheren as characters. As a warning, unless I make drastic cuts from my drafts, most of the chapters are going to be on the longer side.  
> \- I’m imagining that the ID cards automatically transfer money to the victorious Trainer at the end of a match, kinda like venmo. But Cheren and Bianca give Luciana money physically for their first battles because they aren’t official matches yet.  
> \- Bri is, in fact, male. The gender ratio for starters is 7:1 male to female, so this is a safe assumption. I know referring to Pokemon by it/its pronouns is pretty clunky, but this is what is done in-game. NPCs always refer to a Pokemon of an unspecified gender as “it”. This still feels kinda off to me, so I will try my best to refer to Pokemon with the appropriate gendered or non-gendered pronouns. I might slip up with genderless Pokemon though, especially with Legendary Pokemon. I may feel tempted to arbitrarily (or perhaps not so arbitrarily) assign a gender.  
> -Thx for reading 8-)


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